This could bring a "renewed snow risk" - with statistically a greater chance of a White Easter than a White Christmas.

The Met Office's medium range forecast says: "There remains some uncertainty in the forecast for the Easter Weekend, but we are likely to see slow moving weather systems across the UK, with wetter weather more probable in the south and with drier, colder conditions in the north - albeit with a risk of snow at times."

Brits had hoped they were seeing an end to the Beast from the East, after the so-called Mini Beast caused hundreds of schools to be closed and motorists to be stranded.

Last night the M25 closed between J27 and J26 after a pile-up involving lorries and a car - bringing more travel chaos.

A severe weather warning was issued for England and Wales yesterday with temperatures set to sink down to -4C overnight- and forecasters predicted the last of the snow for the week.

Widespread travel disruption continued yesterday - particularly in Devon and Cornwall, where more than 80 people were forced to spend the night in a rest centre in Okehampton College after a 60-mile stretch of the A30 was shut off.

Yesterday police reported that the seaside resort of Ilfracombe in North Devon was cut off due to heavy snow.

A four-year-old girl was fighting for life after the car she was in skidded on ice and hit a tree.

The Ford Fiesta car, which had been travelling from Windermere to Kendal, in Cumbria, left the road in poor weather and collided into trees and a ditch.